McManaman: I can’t see Alonso bringing many changes. Master La really needs a change of environment.

On the weekend of October 25, Real Madrid will host the national derby at home. Before the game, former Real Madrid player McManaman accepted an exclusive interview with "GOAL". He talked about many problems of Real Madrid in the new season, and also talked about compatriots Rashford and Bellingham.

Let’s start with Real Madrid’s performance under Alonso this season. Did he bring about a lot of change?

McManaman: "To be honest, I didn't see too many changes he brought on the court. I watched a lot of their games this year and it was almost perfect until they played away against Atletico Madrid and their performance was very disappointing. They defeated all the opponents they deserved to win in La Liga. It's the same in the Champions League. But Atletico was their first real big test and they failed. The second big test is this Sunday. I'm looking forward to seeing if he will make changes because they lost a lot to Barcelona last year, so he needs to make some adjustments."

"But I'm still waiting to see if I can see the real answer on Sunday afternoon. Because the Real Madrid I saw this year is similar to last year. Of course, their squad is stronger. Alonso mainly plays 4-4-2, or some variant. He does not use three central defenders as much as he did in Leverkusen + Wing-back. Occasionally tried, but mainly the back four, midfielder and striker - whether it is Mbappe + Vinicius, or Mbappe + Rodrygo, so I am waiting to see if he will make adjustments that are significantly different from last year. "

What do you think of Mbappe's performance? Has he integrated better into the team? This seems to be a problem that he and Ancelotti have never completely solved.

McManaman: "This is the biggest topic. He scored 40 goals last year, but Real Madrid's overall performance was poor. His data this year is still excellent, but the question is whether he is holding the team back, such as Vinicius, Bellin, and Rodrygo's Overall performance. I'm very impressed with Mbappe - his movement, vision, finishing ability, he could have scored 10 more goals this year. The question is whether he is willing to contribute to the team and whether he can cooperate with Vinicius or Rodrygo. Are you willing to play center? "

"I still think Real Madrid needs a genuine No. 9 like Joselu, a player with a different style. They have Garcia on the bench, who I like, but need a more experienced striker who can pick up holes. Because both Vinicius and Mbappe like to retreat, hit long shots, and make waves in the world. So far, this style of play looks good, and I hope it will continue. "

Regarding Bellingham, there are many discussions in England. For example, who should start between him and Rogers?

McManaman: "For me, it's not a problem at all. England played very easily in the group stage this time, but Bellingham is still one of England's best players. If he is healthy, he should play. It's that simple. Rodgers is also great, but if you have Bellingham, he has to play. He just came back from injury. I think he performed well against Getafe and also against Juventus. I really don't understand why there is this discussion, maybe because we are all British, this discussion is incredible."

What do you think of Barcelona this year?

McManaman: "They reinforced in the summer, but not as much as Real Madrid. In their game against Paris, Paris won with a broken formation. They still played that crazy high-pressure defense. I think they need to be more organized. They can win a lot of games with creativity in the frontcourt, but the question is whether they can hold on. They can outperform most teams in La Liga, but I doubt they can rely on this style of play. Win the Champions League. Because they will encounter a more pragmatic and defensive team, they will be beaten by counterattacks. Flick needs to find a balance between defense and high pressure. And their lineup is not as deep as other giants, especially Yamal, Rafinha and Pedri. There seems to be a "war" between him and the Spanish national team. Is this the norm for young players in Spain?

McManaman: "You can see in history too many 16- to 19-year-old players who have suffered serious injuries that they shouldn't have. I've said it countless times, Yamal is the most precious talent we have seen in many years, even before Messi. You have to protect him. If he has an ACL injury now, or is overused, that is Disaster. We have seen that Fati has been used before, and now we barely hear from him. Therefore, these young players should not play with injuries in the qualifiers, or even take painkillers to survive. "

Rashford seems to be reborn. He said he would like to stay at Barca if the situation is right for him. Does he just need a change of scenery, or can only Barcelona activate him?

McManaman: "I think it's both. He really needs a change of environment, and Barcelona is the Spanish champion, and there is no better choice than this. From the sluggish environment of Manchester United to the La Liga championship, this is the perfect springboard. As long as he can play enough games, he will There are a lot of goals and assists. Barcelona's creativity can make his data skyrocket. If he goes to Bayern, he will also break out like Dias. He must seize the opportunity and play amazing data in Barcelona, so that Barcelona can keep him next year instead of sending him back to Manchester United."